It would be fair to say that the arrival of Steve McClaren into the managerial hot seat at Newcastle United hasn’t exactly been greeted with euphoric excitement in the city.
The club, who have always held lofty ambitions, have after all appointed a man who was very recently sacked by a side in the division below.
That same man was also widely written off as a manager after his disastrous spell in charge of the England national team. To top it all, he even has a strong affiliation with Northeast rivals Middlesbrough.
Last season came perilously close to being disastrous for the Magpies and McClaren is hardly the breath of fresh air to get the supporters juices going. This very apathy though, is in fact one of the reasons why the 54 year old could well be the perfect choice.
Expectations in Newcastle have always been amongst the highest in the country, with the exception of only three or four clubs.
The fact that McClaren is coming in should put the brakes on those who tend to get carried away every time a new managerial face arrives at St James’ Park.
The former England manager suffered a severe dent to his reputation after his spell in charge of the Three Lions culminated in failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
Left with little choice, he went abroad and steadily rebuilt his standing in the game. His success in the Netherlands with FC Twente in particular helped complete the personal repair job.
Such repairs are exactly what Newcastle need now. Next season at least should not be about Europe. Their aim should be stabilisation, avoiding the relegation dogfight, the drama and the close calls.
No matter what people have said about McClaren over the course of his managerial career, he has avoided relegation with ease. Steadying of the ship was precisely the achievement in his first couple of seasons with Middlesbrough.
The former Manchester United number 2 laid a foundation which then enabled him to guide Boro into Europe and the most successful period in their history.
The other major reason why Mike Ashley has chosen well is that McClaren is first and foremost a coach. His hands-on approach should help the squad go back to basics.
Currently the Magpies pre-season does not involve any new faces among the playing staff or revolutionary ideas, just a coach with tried and tested training methods.
The former Wolfsburg manager will thrive on the fact that his major focus will be preparation. Newcastle tends to be a place where club politics can often impact on team affairs.
The Yorkshireman is the type of character who will concentrate purely on footballing parameters, while Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley deal with the finances and transfer negotiations.
His willingness to take a back seat on these matters should help his relationship with the club’s board, while his renowned tactical knowledge will enable him to accommodate new signings if and when they arrive.
The glaring lack of arrivals is the major headache for the Toon Army at the moment. No fresh talent has been brought in this summer, aside from those promoted from the youth team.
It is believed Charnley scheduled a meeting this week of the club’s hierarchy to discuss their approach to the transfer market.
Meanwhile McClaren will be simply doing what he does best; putting his squad through their paces and working towards matchday 1.
Some might find him an uninspiring choice but he should not be underestimated. This is a man who won titles every year during his three-season stint as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Magpies have been shrewd in offering him a three-year deal with a possible extension to 2023 all being well.
The new coach will be confident in his own ability to earn that extra time to build from the bottom up on Tyneside.
[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]